Candidate Moves & Best Defense

A good calculation starts with good candidates. Too many candidates waste time; one candidate creates tunnel vision. Use the position's triggers to produce a short list: forcing moves first when justified, then important quiet moves.

For each candidate, ask what the opponent would choose if they knew your idea. The best line is the one that survives the strongest reply, not the line with the prettiest first move.

Training flow: 1. Candidate-generation drill with move prohibition for 30 seconds. 2. Candidate ordering. 3. One-line-per-candidate calculation. 4. Best-defense comparison. 5. Final decision and evaluation.

Common errors: One-candidate tunnel vision. Generating every legal move. Using opponent's weak reply. Evaluating before the line stabilizes.

Mastery gate: On 6/8 positions, candidate list must contain the best move before calculation begins; 7/8 final answers correct.

Review: Use a written C1/C2/C3 candidate table for one difficult position.

Duration: 75–90 min